Into the wild

When the Trees Sing, director Santosh Sethumadhavan’s new short film, tracks the transformation of a poacher into a forest guard

A still from When the Trees Sing

Bala was once a forest brigand, a rather merciless one at that. Today, he is a forest guard, who has taken it upon himself to protect the unprotected in Kerala’s tropical forests.

When the Trees Sing , a new environmental short film in Malayalam by documentarian and filmmaker Santosh Sethumadhavan, traces the story of this poacher-turned-gamekeeper. Bala’s story, says Santosh, is inspired by real life tales of forest guards, former poachers, who now protect the jungles of the Periyar Forest Reserve.

The subject has been on the director’s mind for well over a decade now. “I read an article by Vinu Abraham about these former forest brigands, which appeared in an English magazine. I was attracted to the story for its cinematic scope and imagery and also the human element in it. Poachers and poaching have been hogging headlines of late and I thought it was the right time to make the film. I visited Kumily and Thekkady and talked to local poachers-turned-forests guards Kumaran, Saravanan and so on. I found them to be very protective about the forests and ardent environmentalists too,” says Santosh, best known for directing the 2012 feature film, Chattakari.

A still from When the Trees Sing

When the Trees Sing, about 16 minutes long, is an ode to the wonders of the forest, through the eyes and thoughts of Bala (essayed by theatreperson Shabeer Kallarakal).

Santosh Sethumadhavan

It unfolds as Bala narrates his story to a foreigner, Elizabeth, a travel blogger from Finland, whom he is guiding on a trek deep into the jungle. They are accompanied by a 12-year-old local tribal girl.“It’s a philosophical film, really, and looks into how Bala and other poachers-turned-gamekeepers have assumed responsibility for preserving and protecting the forest and its wildlife,” says Santosh.

It has been produced by AV Anoop (he also stars in the film as a forest officer), under the banner of AVA Productions. Cinematography is by Rajeesh Raman. The film is set to be released online during Vishu.